Sauteed Spicy Garlic Shrimp

On a recent trip to Portugal, my fabulous sister brought me back several drool-worthy pantry items, including delicious award-winning olive oil (see below). What started out as a craving for some quick garlic shrimp turned into a restaurant-worthy, finger-licking delight. with just enough sauce to cling to the shrimp and your fingers.

Serves 2

1/2 lb large shrimp, deveined; tails and shell on

2 tbsp oil

6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/3 cup seafood stock

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 sea salt plus more to taste

Good-quality olive oil for drizzling

Lemon wedge for serving

Preparation

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a cast-iron pan or skillet. Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds

2. Add the shrimp and coat very well with the garlic-pepper mixture. Stir for 1 - 2 minutes until the shells begin to turn pink. Add the stock and garlic powder and cook, stirring often, until the shrimp is completely heated through, about 2 minutes

3. Mix in the lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt and cook for 30 seconds - you can add more salt to your liking. Immediately place in a serving dish and add a light drizzle of delicious olive oil. Serve with a lemon wedge

Want to savvy this dish? You'll need:

1 (extra) garlic clove

1 tbsp Ruby port

Flaky salt

1. Thinly slice the garlic clove. In Step 2 before sauteing the chopped garlic and pepper, saute the sliced garlic until pale gold - this will take less than a minute. Set aside

2. In Step 3, add the port with the lemon juice. Just before serving, add a light sprinkle of flaky salt and the garlic chips

Good to know!

• These items really made the dish unique: Picoto 1950 Olive Oil (medium-bodied & fruity), Ruby Port, and More Than Gourmet Classic Seafood Stock. I diluted the seafood stock using 3 tbsp of stock and adding enough water to make 1/3 cup. If you don't have the More Than Gourmet brand, you can use seafood bouillon or a similar seafood stock, including homemade

• Practice makes perfect to know when shrimp is cooked but the flesh should plump up and feel firm, look slightly white, and the shrimp will become curved

• "Fingers before forks" is the way that this dish goes. Don't be shy to suck the sauce off the shell! If you like, serve with a few slices of bread for mopping up sauce on the plate

• To turn this into an elegant meal, use pre-shelled shrimp, reducing the cooking time since the shrimp will cook faster. Serve over rice or linguine